Mario Van Peebles Biography

Fast Facts

• As a child, lived in various parts of Europe before his family moved to San Francisco, where they settled
• First movie role was in the 1971 crime-drama Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which was produced and directed by his father, Melvin Van Peebles
• In 1979, worked as a budget analyst for New York City Mayor Ed Koch's office
• Earned an NAACP Image Award for his performance as Stitch in the 1986 drama flick Heartbreak Ridge
• First regular prime-time TV role was the lead in the 1988 NBC crime-drama Sonny Spoon
• He also directed several episodes
• Received a Directors Guild Award nomination in 1990 for work on Malcolm Takes a Shot, an ABC After School Special
• Film directorial debut was the 1991 crime-drama New Jack City, in which he also starred
• Directed episodes of the 2011 Starz drama show Boss